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ANNUAL REPORT 2016-2017 the Cover Photo Features the Gravesite of Torres Strait Native Title Pioneer the Late Mr Eddie Koiki Mabo

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ANNUAL REPORT 2016-2017 the Cover Photo Features the Gravesite of Torres Strait Native Title Pioneer the Late Mr Eddie Koiki Mabo TORRES STRAIT REGIONAL AUTHORITY ANNUAL REPORT 2016-2017 The cover photo features the gravesite of Torres Strait Native Title pioneer the late Mr Eddie Koiki Mabo. The gravesite was photographed by the TSRA’s Native Title Office during the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the historic High Court Mabo decision. The landmark Mabo decision was a significant achievement for Indigenous land rights and opened the door for Native Title recognition and determinations not only in the Torres Strait but across Australia. TORRES STRAIT REGIONAL AUTHORITY ANNUAL REPORT 2016-2017 The Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) Copyright recognises the Traditional Owners of the land on which we operate. We acknowledge the past © Commonwealth of Australia, 2017 and present elders of all Torres Strait Islander ISSN 1324-163X and Aboriginal people in the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area and respect the The Torres Strait Regional Authority has made culture and lore of all Torres Strait Islander and all reasonable effort to: Aboriginal people in the region. • clearly label material where the copyright is The TSRA will always make every effort to owned by a third party respect Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal • ensure that the copyright owner has people’s cultural sensitivities when featuring the consented to the material being presented in images or names of people who have recently this publication. died. However, please be advised that this document may contain images of persons who With the exception of have died after this Annual Report was prepared the Commonwealth for tabling in Parliament in October 2017 and we Coat of Arms and where offer our apologies for any distress caused if otherwise noted, all material presented in this this occurs. report is provided under a creative commons licence. Details of the licence can be found on the Creative Commons Australia website at http://creativecommons.org.au/learn/licences. This document must be attributed as the Torres Strait Regional Authority Annual Report 2016-2017. The TSRA’s contact officer for the 2016-2017 Annual Report is Ms Yoshiko Hirakawa, Acting Programme Manager Governance and Leadership. Telephone (07) 4069 0700 or email [email protected]. The TSRA Annual Report 2016-2017 is published on the TSRA website at www.tsra.gov.au in the following formats: • Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML) • Portable Document Format (PDF) ISO 32000-1:2008 • ePub Electronic Publishing for eBook Readers. ii TORRES STRAIT REGIONAL AUTHORITY ANNUAL REPORT 2016-2017 VISION EMPOWERING OUR PEOPLE, IN OUR DECISION, IN OUR CULTURE, FOR OUR FUTURE KALA LAGAU YA Ngalpun yagna kaaba woeydhay, a ngalpun muruygaw danalagan mabaygal kunakan palayk, bathayngaka MERIAM MIR Buaigiz kelar obaiswerare, merbi mir apuge mena obakedi, muige merbi areribi tonarge, ko merbi keub kerkerem KALA KAWAU YA Ngalpan moebaygal thoepoeriwoeyamoeyn, ngalpan ya kuduthoeraynu, ngalpan igililmaypa, sepa setha wara goeygil sey boey wagel The Indigenous people of the Torres Strait are of Aboriginal and Melanesian origin and speak two distinct traditional languages. In the Eastern Islands the traditional language is Meriam Mir, while the Western and Central Island groups speak either Kala Lagau Ya or Kala Kawau Ya, which are dialects of the same language. Torres Strait Creole and English are also spoken. Our vision is expressed in the languages of our region, recognising the importance and diversity of our culture and traditional languages. Our vision signifies that the heart of our region is our people, with culture an important part of our lives now and into the future. Empowering our people to contribute to and make decisions regarding their future ensures that our culture will remain strong and that the future will be guided by the people who live in the region and understand and promote its unique characteristics. VISION iii PAPUA NEW GUINEA BOIGU ISLAND SAIBAI ISLAND DAUAN ISLAND IAMA ISLAND MABUYAG ISLAND BADU ISLAND ST PAULS MOA ISLAND WARRABER ISLAND KUBIN KERIRI (HAMMOND) ISLAND WAIBEN ISLAND NGARUPAI ISLAND MURALAG ISLAND SEISIA NEW MAPOON BAMAGA UMAGICO INJINOO CAPE YORK PENINSULA iv TORRES STRAIT REGIONAL AUTHORITY ANNUAL REPORT 2016-2017 TORRES STRAIT REGION UGAR ISLAND ERUB ISLAND MASIG ISLAND MER ISLAND PORUMA ISLAND FIGURE P-1 MAP OF THE TORRES STRAIT REGION VISION v HIGHLIGHTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS TSRA BOARD ELECTIONS The TSRA Board elections were conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission in July 2016. Of the 20 TSRA wards, six were uncontested and polling was conducted only in the remaining 14 wards. Three of the 20 members elected are women, and seven are serving their first term on the TSRA Board. A highlight of the TSRA election was the participation of Papua New Guinea (PNG) electoral officials as observers to see how the election was conducted and the logistics involved in successfully running an election in a remote area. They were able to draw on this experience when they conducted the PNG general elections in July 2017. Following the election and declaration of successful candidates, the TSRA conducted an intensive four-day Board induction programme where members familiarised themselves with the role of the Board and the TSRA’s programmes and legislative requirements. PROMOTING AND ADVOCATING CRITICAL ISSUES FOR THE REGION At the first meeting of the new Board, the new TSRA Chairperson welcomed the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Senator the Hon. Nigel Scullion, and discussed key regional issues with him. Since that meeting, Minister Scullion has made several visits to the region and the Board is working with him to progress regional issues and challenges. In addition to the Minister’s visits, there were also high level meetings and deputations with various Australian and Queensland government ministers and heads of departments and with local mayors to discuss and work on important issues. More details on the number of high level meetings can be found in Section 2 of this report. MINISTER SCULLION HAS MADE SEVERAL VISITS TO THE REGION AND THE BOARD IS WORKING WITH HIM TO PROGRESS REGIONAL ISSUES AND CHALLENGES. TSRA REGIONAL GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE One of the priority areas identified by the TSRA Board is working towards achieving regional governance arrangements for the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area. This has long been an aspiration of the region and its leadership and the Board recognises the need to develop an appropriate model that meets the needs of the region and its people. To progress regional governance, the Board has established a TSRA Regional Governance Committee made up of previous TSRA chairpersons on the current TSRA Board, including the Member for TRAWQ, the Member for Seisia, the Member for Port Kennedy (who is the current TSRA Chairperson) and the Member for Iama. The Committee is chaired by the Member for Iama. vi TORRES STRAIT REGIONAL AUTHORITY ANNUAL REPORT 2016-2017 INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS MINISTER SENATOR THE HON. NIGEL SCULLION GIVING A SPEECH AT THE MABO DECISION 25TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS ON MER. MABO DAY SYMPOSIUM AND 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIGH COURT MABO DECISION The Mer community celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Mabo decision on 3 June 2017. To commemorate this significant occasion Mer Gedkem Le (Torres Strait Islanders) Corporation, Gur A Baradharaw Kod Torres Strait Sea and Land Council and the TSRA (via its Native Title Office) co-convened the 25th Anniversary Mabo Day Symposium on Friday, 2 June 2017 on Mer (Murray Island). The 25th Anniversary Mabo Day Symposium was an opportunity for participants to reflect on the struggles of Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal peoples. Prominent legal professionals who have influenced the Native Title decision also participated in the symposium. NORTHERN TERRITORY GOVERNMENT VISIT A ministerial party from the Northern Territory Government visited the TSRA to obtain information on the TSRA operations as the peak Indigenous Commonwealth body for the Torres Strait. The ministerial party included Mr Chanston Paech, Assistant Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Ms Selena Uibo, Assistant Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Mr Lawrence Costa, Assistant Minister for Remote Health Delivery and Homelands, Mr Peter Wellings, Policy Adviser, Office of the Chief Minister, Mr Andrew (Andy) Cowan, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Department of the Chief Minister, Ms Bridgette Bellenger, Regional HIGHLIGHTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS vii TSRA CHAIRPERSON WITH THE NORTHERN TERRITORY GOVERNMENT ASSISTANT MINISTERS MS SELENA UIBO, MR CHANSTON PAECH AND MR LAWRENCE COSTA DURING THEIR VISIT TO THE TSRA. Network Leader, Department of the Chief Minister and Ms Mischa Cartwright, Executive Director, Office of Aboriginal Affairs. The ministerial party was impressed with the TSRA’s structure and the way in which the TSRA’s elected representatives set the strategic direction for the TSRA’s programmes, which is then implemented by the TSRA’s administration. The visit was an indication of the interest shown by other Indigenous regions of Australia in the TSRA model. THE MINISTERIAL PARTY WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE TSRA’S STRUCTURE AND THE WAY IN WHICH THE TSRA’S ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES SET THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOR THE TSRA’S PROGRAMMES. UNITED NATIONS SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES The TSRA welcomed the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Ms Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, to the region in March 2017. Ms Tauli-Corpuz visited the region as part of her fact-finding mission on the status of the human rights of Indigenous peoples in specific countries. The TSRA met with the Special Rapporteur and provided an update on the TSRA’s operations, including its delivery of programmes to address Indigenous disadvantage. The Special Rapporteur’s role is to identify and report on cases of alleged violations of the rights of Indigenous people and work with respective governments to address any violations that have been identified. Ms Tauli-Corpuz was impressed with the TSRA’s work; in particular, with the TSRA’s Torres Strait Development Plan, which is aligned with the articles under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
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